Weinstein Co. finally goes Blu-ray

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Each will ship with 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio.

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Is 5.1 still the standard? If it is than that is one more thing that would keep me from Blu when I could just upconvert DVDs to near-HD quality for cheaper.

That may sound like a stupid argument but if I am going to plunk down a couple grand on a new TV (It needs HDMI) I would probably want a 7.1 surround sound system for near-future use.

However, do Blu-Ray discs only support up to 5.1 surround despite uncompressed audio? I looked up new Blu releases on High-Def Digest and a couple brand-new releases, Jumper and 10,000 B.C. both only list 5.1 surround with either DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD.

Does anyone know if Blu-ray movies are going to support 7.1 in the near future?

Do remember that this is Dolby TrueHD, not the Dolby Digital 5.1 found on standard DVDs. And BD does support 7.1 PCM, a couple of my BD have it, including 3:10 to yuma and pans labrynth :)

Isn't this the company that makes the scary movies? No sales from me. And really it's about time that they switch over.

Welcome aboard.....Now can we have The Great Debaters,Forbidden Kingdom,Hannibal Rising,1408 & The Protector on Blu-Ray also i can't wait.

Originally posted by DVDBack23:

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Do remember that this is Dolby TrueHD, not the Dolby Digital 5.1 found on standard DVDs. And BD does support 7.1 PCM, a couple of my BD have it, including 3:10 to yuma and pans labrynth :)

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Beat me to it. Even citing Pan's Labyrinth. :)

Originally posted by DVDBack23:

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Do remember that this is Dolby TrueHD, not the Dolby Digital 5.1 found on standard DVDs. And BD does support 7.1 PCM, a couple of my BD have it, including 3:10 to yuma and pans labrynth :)

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True I am just confused as to why, despite support for 7.1 channels, it seems most movies, even brand-new ones, only utilize 5.1 channels according to what High Def Digest has written for sound options.

Maybe in the future the majority of movies will utilize the other two channels, or I am missing something and they already do, but I guess I am just surprised more discs don't have the audio listed, or possibly supported, as 7.1 surround.

Originally posted by Pop_Smith:

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Maybe in the future the majority of movies will utilize the other two channels, or I am missing something and they already do, but I guess I am just surprised more discs don't have the audio listed, or possibly supported, as 7.1 surround.

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Many experts consider the extra 2 surround channels as more hype than substance. They maintain that 5.1 is more than enough for the "average sized" home theater setup:

Don't Get Stampeded By The 7.1 Parade

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At home, however, 5.1 channels are quite enough. It's easy to generate a solid soundfield in a small space with three speakers in front and two on the rear of the side walls. To me it's self-evidently nonsensical to have four surround speakers outnumbering the three in front.

Your family's attention is riveted on the screen and that's where a home surround system should deliver most of its firepower. Adding more channels gives your surround receiver more work to do. That's never a good thing.

With the marketing of 6.1 and 7.1 surround, the industry has decisively outwitted itself. It has convinced many consumers to buy new receivers and more speakers. But it has also undermined the 5.1-channel standard, which is more appropriate for the home, slowing the acceptance of surround sound in general.

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7.1 systems could have a benefit in larger rooms - 225 square feet or larger:

http://aperionaudio.typepad.com/the_soun...71_make_an.html

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I personally recommend 7.1 if your going to have 3 or more feet behind your listening position (couch, chair, etc), and if you have a large room, bigger than 225 square feet. In this scenario it can really give you a spectacular surround effect, filling in back to front (and vice-versa) panning, even if the soundtrack is a basic Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 mix.

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For smaller rooms you don't really want to overwhelm the front three speakers so 5.1 should be enough for most people.

I think calibration and acoustic treatments are a better investment than the 2 extra speakers.

I agree...I'm in no hurry to go 7.1. 5.1 is more than enough for the average living room.

I think jumping from 5.1 to 7.1 will take longer than ppl jumping from DVD to Blu-ray lol Well im sure 7.1 sound of course is amazing but i dont think i have the proper places to fit 7 speakers around my living room equally to optimize its effect.

I also agree with juankerr and the Mark Fleischmann article.

If you have a 32 to 42 inch display in an average sized room then 7.1 could very well be overkill.

I do have a fairly large (27' x 19') basement front projector setup with a 110" screen so my recently installed rear surrounds do make a difference on 7.1 soundtracks like the aforementioned 3:10 to Yuma and Pan's Labyrinth as well as The Golden Compass and Oldboy.

Consider also that most movies don't really benefit from the additional surrounds. Dramas or comedies with mostly dialogue and non-demanding soundtracks don't use the rear channels too often. Action and sci-fi movies with plenty of sound and visual effects would benefit from 7.1. (Therefore I have no idea why Lionsgate decided to add a 7.1 DTS HD MA soundtrack to the BluRay release of Witless Protection.)

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Each will ship with 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio.

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Is 5.1 still the standard? If it is than that is one more thing that would keep me from Blu when I could just upconvert DVDs to near-HD quality for cheaper.

That may sound like a stupid argument but if I am going to plunk down a couple grand on a new TV (It needs HDMI) I would probably want a 7.1 surround sound system for near-future use.

However, do Blu-Ray discs only support up to 5.1 surround despite uncompressed audio? I looked up new Blu releases on High-Def Digest and a couple brand-new releases, Jumper and 10,000 B.C. both only list 5.1 surround with either DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD.

Does anyone know if Blu-ray movies are going to support 7.1 in the near future?

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Gimme a break Poppo! Your point is pointless and your outlook is ridiculous!!

5.1 will remain the standard for probably 20 years+. The human ear can BARELY differentiate the 2 EXTRA speakers on a 7.1 system and most people don't have the practical capability to implement 7 speakers nor a desire to shell out extra cash for a negligible difference. 20 bucks says you don't either. But then again, maybe your tiny little 800 sq. ft apartment has a living room that will have only speakers and no furniture...................ya' know.................ghetto style.

My receiver is 7.1 but my bomb-ass Focal 5.1 speaker system provides all the human ear needs for sound. If you were an audiophile (like I"m sure you will claim to be) then you would see my point.

NOT SAYING that there ISN'T a difference, just barely noticeable one.

And......um.......5.1, 7.1, 8.1 are only decided by the MOVIE STUDIOS as to whether or not they record the flick with that many channels.............and they just don't on an average.

5.1 is good enough trust me i had a 6.1 & just the extra speaker was overkill.

Who cares if it is 5.1,6.1 or 7.1 it's the bit rates per second that count. Listen to a movie with 4.0Mbps then go back to 448 DVD audio and you cn tell the difference.

I agree with everyone here. I used to have a 6.1 system before it died, and most digital satellite channels or DVD movies did not take advantage of the extra rear speaker, and I barely noticed when it did. I had no problem getting a 5.1 system as my replacement and could be none the happier.

Originally posted by 21Q:

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Isn't this the company that makes the scary movies? No sales from me. And really it's about time that they switch over.

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I think they are a sub division of Miramax - they released "The Matador" with Pierce Brosnan with both their logos on the dvd.

Originally posted by juankerr:

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For smaller rooms you don't really want to overwhelm the front three speakers so 5.1 should be enough for most people.

I think calibration and acoustic treatments are a better investment than the 2 extra speakers.

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+1

Instead of worrying about the 2 extra surround channels it would be better to ensure that your system can take advantage of the increased bitrates available in the BluRay soundtracks be it DD+, True HD or DTS HD MA. What good are the 2 extra channels if your amp and speakers can't show a difference between plain vanilla DD and the new sound formats?

The point about acoustic treatments is also very valid. I just got done adding some cinema panels and tube traps to my setup:

http://www.asc-home-theater.com/ht-products.htm

Originally posted by lynchGOP:

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Gimme a break Poppo! Your point is pointless and your outlook is ridiculous!!

5.1 will remain the standard for probably 20 years+. The human ear can BARELY differentiate the 2 EXTRA speakers on a 7.1 system and most people don't have the practical capability to implement 7 speakers nor a desire to shell out extra cash for a negligible difference.

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While I don't think 5.1 will be the standard for that long it will stick around for a while. Each person is different with their hearing abilities as well, I know a handful that would enjoy and could tell a difference between 7.1 and 5.1 surround.

Yes, few people right now have the means (or room necessary) for a 7.1 system but that doesn't make it pointless.

Originally posted by lynchGOP:

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20 bucks says you don't either. But then again, maybe your tiny little 800 sq. ft apartment has a living room that will have only speakers and no furniture...................ya' know.................ghetto style.

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Well, where I watch movies has ~2 meters between the couch and the back wall so it could use an extra two speakers. However, the lack of true 7.1 support (besides some Blu movies) makes it pointless at the moment.

Originally posted by lynchGOP:

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My receiver is 7.1 but my bomb-ass Focal 5.1 speaker system provides all the human ear needs for sound. If you were an audiophile (like I"m sure you will claim to be) then you would see my point.

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Actually, no I am not an "Audiophile", I just can tell the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 and believe the ability to utilize the extra speakers for those that have them would be nice.

Originally posted by lynchGOP:

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NOT SAYING that there ISN'T a difference, just barely noticeable one.

And......um.......5.1, 7.1, 8.1 are only decided by the MOVIE STUDIOS as to whether or not they record the flick with that many channels.............and they just don't on an average.

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Yes, I will agree these two points are valid.

However, I still think its strange that very few recent releases support PCM or any other format made for more than 5.1 surround systems.

It may sound strange but many of the higher-end Receivers are at least 7.1 surround, every model in the recent Denon catalog are 7.1 or higher (clear up to a "Its beyond stupid now" 9.3 capable $7000 insanity).

Basically, yes unless you have a pretty big room anything over 5.1 is overkill. However, that is obviously not stopping Receiver creators from coming up with 7.1+ capable receivers that should be able to be utilized.

Originally posted by Pop_Smith:

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However, I still think its strange that very few recent releases support PCM or any other format made for more than 5.1 surround systems.

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See dblbogey7's comment above. It's obviously a waste of effort to put a 7.1 soundtrack in a movie that's mostly dialogue (like most dramas or comedies). Action and sci-fi - where the surround channels are working overtime - are another matter.

Originally posted by Pop_Smith:

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However, that is obviously not stopping Receiver creators from coming up with 7.1+ capable receivers that should be able to be utilized.

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Receiver manufacturers are coming out with new models with the BluRay players in mind. Lossless audio, 7.1, HDMI - all of these can only be taken advantage of if you have a high def player.

i don't know... some BD movies have better sounds and some are same as those in dvds. In the case of 30 Days and Night, the sound is really good and i didn't calibrate anything on my Onkyo. Those creepy sounds really add substances to the movie, like broken glass sound (very crisp, it's like it's broken right in front/back of you) and then the running sound from left to right, creepy!
I do agree that 5.1 is good enough, but i think with 7.1 the "running sound from left to right" can be more vivid (as in more frame in a cartoon, but of course, we're talking about microscopic differences). Anyhow, i do perfer True HD tracks though, cranking up the volume on those tracks, man, explosions are very lively, lol.